It was the weekend of the 18th Group of 20 (G20) Summit, operating under the theme of “One Earth, One Family, One Future.”
At a Trade and Investment Ministers Meeting, Wang Shouwen, Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce, highlighted the importance for G20 to protect the multilateral trading system and condemn unilateral protectionist actions, calling out the misuse of national security and export controls. He also stressed open regionalism, supporting stable global industrial and supply chains, strengthening digital cooperation to recognize electronic document standards, and enhancing the openness and inclusiveness of regional free trade agreements. In response, G20 Trade and Investment Ministers collectively pledged to uphold the multilateral trading system while bolstering supply chain resilience and facilitating the integration of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises into international trade.
In India and Vietnam, Biden called the U.S. a more reliable and trustworthy partner than Beijing and then emphasized he did not want a new Cold War with the Chinese.
According to Biden, “We have an opportunity to strengthen alliances around the world to maintain stability. That’s what this trip is all about, having India cooperate much more with United States, be closer to the United States, Vietnam being closer with the United States. It’s not about containing China. It’s about having a stable base – a stable base in Indo-Pacific.”
Fractures, however, are visible in current geopolitics, at the G20 summit, and in Hanoi. For example, although leaders managed to agree on a joint statement on climate change and economic development, they did not condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Diplomats tried to pen a joint statement before the summit but hit snags on language to describe the Ukraine war.
